


Adjustment Period

by hollowsbest



Series: Consequences [9]
Category: Original Work, The Weathervane Journal
Genre: ADHD Mood of Being Unable to Pursue Projects, Change Isn't a Bad Thing, Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollowsbest/pseuds/hollowsbest
Summary: Jasper returns from her Hell vacation to find the Weathervane has changed in her absence, and she's been saddled with mandatory leave.Again.
Series: Consequences [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043850





	Adjustment Period

**Author's Note:**

> if you've read this far, thank you so much! knowing me there's surely more to come but this is it for now!! <3

You’re uncomfortable both ways now, human or demon. You’re better about it than you were in taking your ring off, but you’re still not comfortable; even with the two months spent in Hell unable to put it on.  
But now with it on, you feel far too small. Like putting on a jacket from your childhood that you’d outgrown. You find yourself giving your body more clearance than it needs when you wear it, and not enough when it’s off.

You know you’ll eventually adjust, it’s been only a few days and due to the world you live in you’ll spend most of your time ring _on_. (You’re not exactly eager to spend more time with it off anyway.) But for the time being, you’re impatient and tired and want your hips to get some reprieve from being specifically targeted by kitchen counters.

Despite your bruised hips thanks to kitchen counters (and… other things, India has been _very_ happy to see you), it is a fucking _delight_ to be back home. More of a… Relief. The ability to let your guard down, let it down properly and sleep deeply. Rather than drifting in a half-awake state with enough awareness to grab a weapon if things suddenly became dire, which was not a restful way to sleep but did allow you to to not steadily go insane thanks to sleep deprivation.  
(It’s not a trick you do often, you try to keep your company amongst trustworthy folk.)

There’s a few things to adjust to after your return, a few new faces, the Weathervane’s renaming and what Heather wants to turn it into, and the ramifications of what you puzzled out during the long _long_ hours on the nonexistent roads of Hell.  
As per usual after an exhausting case, such as the one you just finished, you’re all on paid leave. Mandatory leave. Which means you need a way to spend your time in a way that’s not related to any cases. For a _month_.  
You’re going to lose your goddamn mind.

Well you might be being a little over-dramatic there, but you feel a little lost without the regular cases and something to hold your attention. You’ve been wholly focused on bringing JD’s dad back from Hell for nearly two months, finding yourself back home with little to do for a month is… Distressing.  
Yes while you do have projects that need attention, none of them are grabbing your interest; despite being _quite_ important. Helping Rory stabilise, crafting three pieces of disguise jewellery, transferring all of your notes on Hell to a place that is _not_ your phone, to name a few.

Not to mention you have a _double date_ with Aunt Susie soon, which is something you would usually attempt to wiggle out of. (You have no interest in meeting someone who’s just as likely to be dropped the week after.) You know she wants to find someone, genuinely, but most people aren’t prepared to handle her in her entirety. You’ve seen a lot of failed girlfriends, and someone she met while her dating profile listed ‘weird, GIRL, must be good with hard drugs’ on it is not someone you’re particularly _thrilled_ to meet. You think India will have fun though, she’s been wanting to meet Susie just as much as Susie’s been wanting to meet her. (You’ve used so many shitty excuses to avoid their meeting up until now, hopefully she’ll forgive you.)

You’re not going to try and avoid the event, as much as you’d like to. To her you disappeared for under two months with no word, when usually you try to touch base once a week. _And_ with the crowd she thinks you still run with… She thought you were dead. If she’d done that to _you_ you’d think she’d finally been taken out by someone she’s pissed off over the years.  
She probably mourned you, after a month with no response. She barely even yelled at you, likely too relieved you’re alive to be angry. ...You’re such a shitty daughter.

You should visit, before the double date. Have tea. Show, rather than tell that you’re okay. Tell her that you’ve been going straight for a while, or well… That you’re no longer deeply entrenched in the criminal underworld as you were? You don’t want to lie to her, you can’t actually- She knows your tells as well as you know hers, she’d call you on it as soon as you tried. (You’ll explain nothing, and just frustrate her further.)

Should you tell her about the Weathervane? Not the entire truth obviously, you don’t want to expose her to potential supernatural harm. (More than already being related to you is.) But the bits about it being a newspaper, about you becoming a reporter. Excelling at it even. You think you’ll leave out the paranormal aspect, leave it more as helping folks and fostering community.  
Or maybe you shouldn’t, you don’t want to risk bringing down something onto Aunt Susie that could cause her harm. You’ve done enough of that already. (If you’re honest with yourself, you’re not going to visit. You’re far too scared you’ll bring something with you. You can’t risk your family.)

You don’t know what you’re going to do. About Aunt Susie and her ‘double date’, or about what you’re supposed to be doing in the _first_ fucking place. You’re not even allowed to pursue the leads with the other organisations similar to the Weathervane! You’re not sure how to convince Heather you’re _fine_ and to let you back to solving cases- Though, you are quite aware that you are _not_. (You’re fine enough to solve cases, at least.)

The thought reminds you that you need to call Adrien. There’s no knowing how long he’ll take to respond though, let alone be able to visit and _help_ with your issues. He could be outside of Britain currently, and take weeks to get back to you. This isn’t something to be solved with a phone call, you’re pretty sure at least. You don’t think mourning is possible without the Mourner being physically there… Though it wouldn’t hurt to test. (You don’t want to. You know if you’re going to talk about it, it’ll be in person.)

You pull your phone out and bite the bullet, sending out a text with only enough information to let him know you need to talk _in person_ and to only let you know when he’ll be able to, in an attempt to avoid him derailing the conversation somehow.  
There’s no response yet, as expected.

This once again leaves you with nothing to do.  
 _Fuck_.

This is going to be a very long month.


End file.
